Antithumb sucking device



: March 29, 1932 w, c; DARBY 1,851,351

ANTITHUMB SUCKING DEVICE Filed May 20, 1929 Patented 29,1932

Application "filed my 20,

whereby the objects contemplated are at- 1 tainech'as hereinafter morefully set forth, pointed out 1n my claim, and illustrated 1n theaccompanying draw1ngs-, '1n-wh1ehil Figure l -sliowsa plan view of ahandp:

" equipped with an anti thumbsucking device I I V i application to thethumb of anmfantand fillvnowdescribe the harm donebythumb ""rqembodyingmy invention.

it to the thumb:

. Figure 3 is a diagrammatic View showing i thenormal condition of thearch of the mouth.

' Figure 4 is asimilar. view illustrating the hi h arch and narrowednasal assa es ret: I v i a b I sultingfrom thumb sucking.v

' Figure 5 illustrates the manner in whichth'e child sealsthe-lips tothe thumb in sucking anti+thumbsucking de vice taken on the li eOfFigure'S; and I I i Figure 8 is a. similar sectional view; show-- ingthe thumb in position against the side of thumb functioningv to engagethe gum ofthe -mouth to prevent sealingof the lips.

, In the accompanying drawings, I have used r the reference numeral'lOto indicate the hand of an infant. I

' My anti-thumb sucking device A consists of a central bar 12; end bars14 and sidebars 16 spaced from I I and parallel with the'central baflQ."

tie V A plurality of lugs 18am formed on the if Q WE Si'JE Y QQDABBY, orwas m me, IOWA Figure :Zis a perspective view of the devieefomitting thetape or means'for fastening 1 'Figure 7 is a detail; seetional view ofthey the mouth and showing mydevice 01ithe mes j gamm SUCKIING'. ar on 129. serial lNo; 3 64,46 81. f i

eentra lbar 12- an'd-i0ne of the-end-bars I l-is previded with lug-likeextensions 20; r lhe anti-thumb sucking device A is adapt ed to'be,positioned' on the thumb'22 (if the hand-1O in the position shown,*withtheluggs '18 projecting'inwardly relative to the almer 1 the handh t f IIt is adapted to he seeured'in positionby* means a strip ofadhesivegtape 24- as best shown in Figure 7' 'of-itheldrawings. Airad-60. 7

ditional pie'eeot adhesive 'taper26may be prf'o vided with theadhesive'side' outwardto furtherta c'ilitatela good eonneetionbetweemt'he! iihe adhesive tape'Qe, of course hasthead- 651.

thumb. 22;

h esive :sidei thereef inwardly or against the -.r havebrieflyfdeseribecl my device and its sucking and howqmydevice-0perateste pre+ 5' flteterringtohi'gure 3'; a cressseetionflofthe i n-Ormal mouth and. nasal pasageways' isillus- 75 'tra tedi Thebottom 'ofthe mouth is 'in'dicate'd at128 and the roof thereofat 80. Thelower "and upper rews of teeth are indicated at '32 and 34 respectively.Above the roof of the mouth, thena'sal passageways are indicate'd at 36.These passageways "areof: rather coma plex shape as clearlyshoWn-inlligure 3. I

Referring to Figuree itwilllbe seenyhow 7 th e-fthumb sucking-habit inaninfan-tihaving serts'fthethumbl22 in the mouth and presses/Q Iagainstgthe roof SO-theieof. This 'pressu're I causesan upwardarch-oftheToofBO, as clea'rfly'. shown in Figure 4:,"whi'chpressesup {on thebottom surfacesef the nasal: passageways "36 1thereby eenstrieting them;-This effect-in so I itself is not'quiteas harmful asthe comb'iriation'bfzthe iupward pressure ofithe 'thumh 1 i on. the :roof; 3Oof theinoutlpanda; vacuum I I created in the mouth by a sucking aetion;

This-suckingacti'on is'pessibled ue toftheialips and 40 0f the infantbeing pre'ssedagainst the tl umb and makinganair-tightseal there around:Beeause'fof the vacuum thus formed i within the-mouth; the normalatmespher'ic' pressnrewoutside of the face -;pressesdewn on theturbinate bones (not illustrated) above the nasal passageways 36 asindicated by the arrows 42 and further causes constriction of V thepassageways as clearly shown in Fig ure 4. r

The harm done by such construction is due to the fact that thepassageways 36 are so small that breathing is hindered, and the childthus afflicted is much more susceptible to colds, because of the germsgetting into the constricted passageways and being impossible to readilyremove. Sometimes it is im possible to remove them at all and a tubinatebone operation must be performed.

The primary object of my invention is to providea device which willefiectively prevent the formation of a vacuum. This is possible as shownin Figure 6 due to the fact that the upper lip 40 which being presseddownwardly against .theanti-thumb sucking device A can not enter inbetween the lugs 18 sufficient to cause an air-tight seal.

In other words, the lip 40 is too thick to enter between the closelyspaced projections vor lugs 18 and air can enter the mouth between thelugs as shown by the arrow 44.

I have found that when an infant can not create a vacuum within themouth when sucking its thumb, the pleasure of sucking the thumbiseIiminated and after two or three days and. sometimes in a shorterperiod, of time, he completely stops the habit.

The lugs l18-efiectively prevent the formation of an air seal around thethumb when Y the thumb is thrust in the mouth as clearly illustrated inFigures 5 and 6;

, It is possible, however, to turn the thumb sidewise and engage thecorner of the mouth 46 with the lugs 18 and the corner of the mouth,being sharp, could enter between the lugs 18 and form an effectual seal,if it were not for the extensions 20,which are provided to engage thegums adjacent the teeth 32 and 34 as shown in Figure 8. This section ofthe mouth is illustrated looking inwardly and the nail 48 of the thumbmay be seen. I In the event that the infant then moves the thumb awayfrom the corner of the mouth to prevent engagement of the extension lugs20 with the gums, as shown, the device A will be so far removed from thecorner of the mouth that he can not get the corner 46 in I ment andconstruction of the various parts of my anti-thumb sucking devicewithout departing from the real spirit and purpose of my invention, andit is my intention to cover by myclaim, any modified forms of structureor use of mechanical equivalents, which may be reasonably includedwithin their scope.

I claim as my invention:

In a device of the class described, three substantially parallel barmembers, end members connecting the ends of said bar members and curvedto fit the inside of the thumb of a child for maintaining the deviceclose to the hand, the center bar having outwardly projecting lugs andone end bar having projecting lug-like extensions 20, the side barsbeing adapted to be engaged by adhesive tape orthe like for fasteningthe device on the thumb.

Des Moines, Iowa, March 12, 1929.

WESLEY C. DARBY.

